Frank Fritz’s cause of death has been revealed following the American Picker’s star’s heartbreaking death aged 60.
Fritz sadly passed away at the age of 60. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouri / Getty
On October 1, Fritz’s long-time co-star Mike Wolfe shared the tragic news that the beloved treasure hunter had passed away.
In an emotional Instagram post, Wolfe wrote of his co-star of more than 300 episodes of the show: “It’s with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night.”
Fritz had experience several health battles in recent years, and now, TMZ has reported his confirmed cause of death after obtaining the star’s death certificate.
The outlet reports that Fritz died from “late sequela of cerebral infarction,” which means he suffered from a stroke. TMZ adds that the stroke was a result of cerebral vascular disease – a condition that impacts blood flow and blood vessels in the brain.
The American Pickers star had also reportedly suffered from aortic stenosis, a chronic condition that restricts blood flow throughout the body.
Fritz and Mike Wolfe in 2011. Credit: Jared C. Tilton / Getty
Both the latter conditions were said to be contributing factors to Fritz’s death.
Fritz left the show back in March 2020 after undergoing an extensive back surgery that left him with 185 stitches and two rods in his spine.
He had also opened up to The Sun about battling alcohol dependency after spending 77 days in rehab.
As well as battling Chron’s disease for several decades, Fritz then sadly suffered a devastating stroke at his Iowa home in 2022.
The stroke was so significant that it left Fritz’s decision-making capacity so impaired that MidWestOne Bank was legally named as Frank’s conservator, while his long-time friend Chris Davis served as his guardian.
The news comes after Fritz’s long time friend, Jerry Gendreau, told The Sun that the presenter had become “frustrated” after being unable to recover from his stroke, as it left him “totally bedridden”.
“I’ve seen this when people get tired, they get tired. I think if you don’t have the will to live, you won’t,” Gendreau said. “I think Frank could’ve lived a lot longer if the will to live would’ve been there.”
Fritz representative previously revealed that the presenter had died at the Quad Cities hospice facility.
At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by family and friends – including co-star Mike Wolfe.
Fritz with his co-star Wolfe. Credit: Taylor Hill / Getty
In his tribute to Fritz, Wolfe spoke fondly about the surprise success of their reality show, saying: “Who would have ever dreamed we would share the cockpit of a white cargo van in front of millions of people interested in our adventures.
“Before the show we would take off together to places we never knew existed with no destination in mind and just the shared passion to discover something interesting and historic.”
“We’ve been on countless trips and shared so many miles and I feel blessed that I was there by his side when he took one last journey home,” Wolfe concluded his message to fans. “I love you buddy and will miss you so much I know [you’re] in a better place.”
Once again, our thoughts go out to Fritz’s family, friends, and loved ones at this time.
